Dialing tool



Nov. 7,- 1950 A. P. LYNN Erm.

DIALING 'rooL Filed Sept. 3, 1947 7% w iz@ Z f Patented Nov. 7, 1950UNITED STATES PATENT oFEicE DIALING TOOL Anthony P. Lynn, Elmhurst, andGary A. Lynn, River Grove, Ill.

Application September 3, 1947, Serial No. 771,886

7 Claims. 1

This invention relates to improvements in dialing tools of the typeadapted for use in actuating the rotatable dials provided on automatictelephone instruments. Automatic telephones now in common use areprovided with a fixed inner plate bearing numbers and letters, and alsowith an outer plate adapted to rotate relative to the inner plate, theouter plate being formed with a plurality of finger receiving aperturesnormally disposed in alignment with their respective numbers and lettersprovided on the inner plate. In dialing hundreds of numbers per day, itwill be appreciated that an operators nger will become sore or injuredand, as a result thereof the operators usually resort to theunauthorized use of pencils, rods, and the like for insertion in thelinger apertures, thereby often causing injury to the dialing equipment.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a dialing tooladapted to facilitate the manipulation of telephone dials, and whichwill not cause injury to the dialing equipment.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a dialing toolembodying a spherical-shaped knob journaled for rotational movement uponthe end of an adapter, the adapter being formed with improved means fordetachable engagement upon the end of a lead pencil, rod, or the like.

This invention further contemplates the provision of improved means forassembling the spherical knob for rotatable movement upon the end of theadapter, said securing means being confined within the spherical knob toprovide a smooth even exterior surface on the knob.

This invention further contemplates the provision of a dialing toolembodying an adapter which is slotted longitudinally to provide aplurality of resilient fingers to receive the end of a lead pencil, orthe like, and a locking sleeve for telescopic movement over theresilient lingers to hold the latter in tight frictional engagementagainst tlie engaged portion of the lead pencil.

This invention further contemplates the provision of a dialing toolwhich is relatively simple and ineipensive in construction, reliable inoperation, and which will not readily get out of order. l f

This invention embodies other novel features, details of constructionand arrangement of parts which are hereinafter set forth in thespecification and claims and illustrated in the accompanying drawing,wherein:

Fig. 1 is a longitudinal sectional View illustrating a dialing toolembodying features of this invention. Y 1

Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional view taken along the line 2-2 of Fig.1.

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view illustrating a modified form ofthis invention.

Fig. 4 is a longitudinal sectional view illustrating another modifiedform of this invention.

Fig. 5 is a plan View illustrating a telephone dialing device embodyingan outer rotatable dial provided with apertures to receive the sphericalknob of the dialing tool.

Fig. 6 is an enlarged detail sectional view illustrating the manner ofapplying the dialing tool in a finger opening of a telephone dial.

Referring now to the drawing for a better understanding of thisinvention, and more particularly to Figs. l and 2 therein, the dialingtool is shown as comprising a spherical-shaped knob 1 formed with acylindrical bore 8 to receive a cylindrical bearing portion 9 of anadapter I0. The outer end of the adapter Ill is in the form of acylindrical sleeve II formed with longitudinally extending slots I2 todefine a plurality of resilient ngers I3 'to receive and snugly engagethe end of a pencil I4 illustrated in dotted outline. The adapter I0 isprovided with a wall IB at the in ner end of the bearing portion 9, thewall being formed with a centrally disposed aperture Il to receive thethreaded end of the screw I 8. To insure free rotational movement of theknob 'I about the adapter II), the bearing'portion 9 is provided with anannular bearing surface 2| to coact with the adjacent surface of thecylindrical bore 8.

The dialing tool is adapted for detachable engagement upon the eraserend of a standard lead pencil I4, the pencil being of the type in whichan eraser 22 is securely mounted upon the end of the pencil by means ofa metallic retaining band 23. It will be noted that the inner diameterof the bearing portion 9 corresponds to the diameter of the eraser 22;and that the inner diameter of the cylindrical sleeve portion IIcorresponds to the outer diameter of the metallicl band 23, thusinsuring a compact unit of sturdy construction.

After the metal band 23 ofa pencil has bee inserted into the sleeveportion I I ofthe adapter, a retaining sleeve 24 is moved axially intoposition to snugly enclose the resilient fingers I3 andA to move thelatter into tighter frictional engagement with the metal band 23. Whenthe adapter is thus assembled upon the end of a pencil, it is securedagainst movement relative thereto, but may readily be removed forattachment to another pencil. During inward movement of the lockingsleeve 24, it is brought to rest against an Lil an outer dial 21 formedwith a plurality of iinger receiving apertures 28. The outer dial 2.1 is

,journaled for rotational movement relative to an inner dial 29 bearingnumbers and/or letters 3i.

In dialing a number, the outer dial 21 is rotated in a clockwisedirection until an operators nger or a dialing tool is brought intoContact with a fixed abutment arm 32. As illustrated in Fig. 6,

the dialing tool knob 1 is slightly larger in diameter than the diameter.of the linger receiving apertures 26 provided in the outer `dial 21..During rotational movement of the outer dial 21, it will be noted thatthe dialing tool knob l is free to rotate about the bearing Vend 9 ofthe adapter I0, thus preventing wear or injury to the walls defining thefinger receiving apertures 28.

Fig. 3 in the drawing illustrates a modified form of this invention .inwhich a spherical-shaped knob 36 is provided with an enlarged diameterbore 31 to receive a bearing portion 38 of an adapter 3S. At the -innerend `of the bore 1 is provided a coaxially dis-posed bearing ring bore4| to receive a bearing ring 42. A self-threading rivet 43 extendsthrough vthe bearing ring 42 for self-threading engagement in a drillYhole t provided in the end of the bearing portion 38. In assembling thedialing tool, the bearing ring 42 is first assembled in position uponthe bearingportion k38 of the adapter 39 `by means of the selfthreadingscrew 43. By providing a forced lt for the bearing ring i2 in the bore4l, the knob 3.6 is assembled upon the adapter 39 by merely forcing thebearing ring into thebore 4'! 'This form of the invention is otherwisesimilar tothe ferm heretofore described and illustrated in Figsl and 2of the drawing. f I

Fig. 4 illustrates another modified form of this invention in which anadapter il@ is provided with a bearing portion 41 having a bearing shank48 for rotatable engagement in the bearing ring 42 of thespherical-shaped -knob 35 which is similar to the knobheretoforedescribedand illustrated in Fig. 3 of the drawing. In.assembling this modified form of dialing tool, the bearing ring-A2 is lfirst mounted upon the bea-ring shankll and the end of the bearing shankl4i! is peened over to provide an annular shoulder Mito prevent axialdisplacement of the bearing ring. In assembling the -knob 36 upon Ytheadapter 45, the bearing ring 42 is forced into the reduced diameter bore4l This form of the invention is otherwise similar to the formheretofore described in connection with Fig. 3 of the drawing, exceptthat the-adapteris not formedwith longitudinally extending 4 shaped knobis provided with a smooth outer surface, free of indentations or rivetheads, and that the knob is adapted to be simply and inexpensivelyassembled upon the end of the adapter by telescopic movement of theparts. It is also contemplated that the ends of the rivets or screws I8and 43 may be provided with knurled surfaces in place of screw threads.Y

vWhile this invention has .been shown in several forms, it is obvious tothose skilled in the art that it is not so limited but is susceptible ofvarious changes and modifications without departing from the spirit andscope of the claimed invention.

We claim as our invention:

"1. In a dialing tool, a substantially cylindrical hollow sleeve-shapedadapter formed with a wall at its inner end and adapted to embrace theouter surface of a handle, a knob provided with an enlarged cylindricalbore and a coaxial reduced diameter bore opening into said enlarged boreand terminating short of the outer surface of said knob, the inner endof said adapter being disposed within the enlarged bore of said knob andembraced by said knob, and means secured in said reduced bore to engagethe inner wall of said adapter and prevent axial displacement from itsposition within saidenlarged bore.

2; In a dialing tool, a substantially cylindrical hollow sleeve-shapedadapter formed with a Awall at its inner end and adapted to embrace theouter surface of a handle, a knob provided Awith an enlarged cylindricalbore and a coaxial reduced diameter bore opening into said enlarged boreland terminating short ofthe outer surface Vof ysaid knob,lwhereby saidknob surface opposite said enlarged cylindrical bore is continuous, theinner end of said adaptenbeing disposed within the enlarged bore of saidknob and embraced by said knob, and means secured in said reduced boreto engage the inner wall of said adapter and prevent axial displacementfrom its position within said enlarged bore. f

3. In a dialing tool, a sleeve-shaped adapter 5' formed with a wall atits inner end, said adapter being formed with a journal surface spacedfrom the inner end thereof,y a spherical-shaped knob havinga boreextending inwardly from one side thereof to receive the inner end ofsaid adapter and the journal surface formed thereon, a bearing ringsecured within the inner end of. .the bore provided in saidv knob, andmeans provided on the inner end of said adapter toxengage `said bearingring to hold the knob kand adapter in assembled relatively rotatableengagement.

4. In avdialing tool, a sleeve-shaped adapter formed with a wallat itsinnerl end, said adapter being formed with a journal surface Aspacedfrom the inner end thereof, a `spherical-shapedknob having arborevextending inwardly from one side thereof to receive-the innerend ofYsaidl adapter and the journal surface formed thereon, a bearing ringsecured within the inner. end; of` the bore provided in said knob, meansprovidedpn the inner end of said adapter toengage. said-bearing ring tohold the knob andadapter irri-as,- sembled relatively rotatableengagement, said means comprising a :self-threading:- screw securedtothe inner end of theadapter. 1 p

. 5. In a dialingftool, 4a sleeve-shaped adapter formed with a wallatits inner end, said-adapter and the journal surface formed thereon, abearing ring secured within the inner end of the bore provided in saidknob, means provided on the inner end of said adapter to engage saidbearing ring to hold the knob and adapter in assembled relativelyrotatable engagement, said means comprising an upsetshoulder formed onthe inner end of the adapter for engagement against the inner side oi'said bearing ring.

6. In a dialing tool, a sleeve-shaped adapter .E

formed with a wall at its inner end, said adapter being formed with ajournal surface spaced from the inner end thereof, a spherical-shapedknob having a bore extending inwardly from one side thereof to receivethe inner end of said adapter and the journal surface formed thereon, abearing ring secured within the inner end of the bore provided in saidknob, means provided on the inner end of said adapter to engage saidbearing and the journal surface formed thereon, a bearing ring securedWithin the inner end of the bore provided in said knob, means providedon the inner end of said adapter to engage said bearing ring to hold theknob and adapter in assembled relatively rotatable engagement, saidmeans comprising a self-threading screw, the outer end of said adapterbeing slotted longitudinally to provide resilient fingers to receive andgrip the end of a lead pencil, and a locking sleeve to snugly enclosesaid resilient fingers to force said ngers into tight frictionalengagement with a lead pencil.

ANTHONY P. LYNN.

GARY A. LYNN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the `iile ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,591,998 Popper July 13, 19261,694,429 Peak Dec. 11, 1923 2,247,027 Kuhn June 24, 1941 2,285,286Kirkman June 2, 1942 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 427,839 GreatBritain May 1, 1935

